...the former archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, rose to ask the secretary, who was raised as an Anglican, why the United States seemed determined to exercise the "hard power" of military force rather than the "soft power" of economic and humanitarian aid.

"I don't think I have anything to be ashamed of, or apologize for..., Mr. Powell replied bluntly. "There comes a time when soft power... will not work — where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works."

And, at the UN, reponding to German concerns:

Mr. Fischer's statement prompted Mr. Powell to depart testily from his prepared remarks and tell the Council, "We cannot be shocked into impotence because we're afraid..."